What does cleanliness mean?
Word: Cleanliness
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Cleanliness means the state of being clean, or the habit of keeping yourself and your surroundings clean.
Synonyms: hygiene, neatness, tidiness, purity
Antonyms: dirtiness
How do you spell cleanliness?
Syllables: clean - li - ness
Tricky part: The y of cleanly turns into an i before the ending, and the first part keeps the ea of clean even though it is said 'clen'.
Watch out for: cleanlyness, clenliness, cleenliness
Memory tip: Just as happy turns its y into i before an ending, cleanly does the same: cleanli-.
Idioms and Phrases
- cleanliness is next to godliness: a proverb saying that being clean is a very important virtue. Example: "Before guests arrived, Dadi reminded us that cleanliness is next to godliness and handed out dusters."
Cleanliness in a sentence
Example 1: The hospital is well known for its cleanliness.
Example 2: Indore has topped India's national cleanliness survey several years in a row.
Example 3: Our class monitor checks the cleanliness of the desks every Monday.
Fun Fact
Swachh Bharat Mission, India's national cleanliness campaign, was launched on 2 October 2014, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. disinfectant 2. garbage 3. cleanlinness 4. sanitation
a) rubbish or waste
b) a chemical that kills germs
c) systems such as drains and toilets that keep places healthy
d) the state of being clean
Show answer
d) the state of being clean. Sanitation, disinfectant and garbage are all spelt correctly; cleanlinness has an n too many.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to cleanliness as used in the sentence:
The food inspectors praised the cleanliness of the school canteen.
a) brightness
b) orderliness
c) freshness
d) filthiness
Show answer
d) filthiness. Filthiness is dirtiness, the opposite of the canteen's cleanliness; freshness, orderliness and brightness are all good qualities.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
The hotel won an award for the sslnaneilec of its kitchens.
a) cleverness
b) cleanliness
c) loneliness
d) carelessness
Show answer
b) cleanliness. Carelessness has an r, cleverness a v and loneliness an o, so the jumble makes only cleanliness.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our school won the district prize for cleanlines after the students planted a garden and kept every corridor free of litter for a whole term.
a) cleanlines
b) corridor
c) litter
d) district
Show answer
a) cleanlines. The -ness ending always has two s's, so cleanlines is the slip.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A town praised for its cleanliness probably has ____.
a) spotless streets and clear drains
b) markets that stay open all night
c) a football team that won the league
d) the tallest buildings in the state
Show answer
a) spotless streets and clear drains
2. Poor cleanliness in a kitchen can lead to ____.
a) the spices losing their colour
b) the gas cylinder running out sooner
c) germs spreading to the food
d) meals taking longer to cook
Show answer
c) germs spreading to the food
